Bulletproof (26 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

MORGAN

I propped the mop against the wall and stood back to survey our progress. The floor was looking pretty damn good. I wanted it to shine more, but it would once Cole had brought back the wax.

I glanced at my watch, calculating how long it might take him. He should be back within the next 20 minutes, and I’d get to work on it right away. By tonight, this studio would be ready to go. I’d start on the next one tomorrow.

It had been a really long week, but the music had blasted the whole time, making cleaning up this place a pleasure.

I wanted it open-able by the end of the month. Isabella had already had a few sign-ups. We were starting out small, but with a little word of mouth, we’d grow.

She’d asked me to teach the first children’s class that came in, which I nervously agreed to. As soon as
Superstar
finished filming in a couple of weeks, we would open up high school and adult classes. We were starting with jazz and hip hop, but hoping to branch into some of the old-school stuff eventually and offer up swing and ballroom dancing. I just had to track down some teachers. Our brainstorming session last week had been huge and totally inspiring. I had a feeling we’d be booming in no time.

I grinned.

Folding my arms, I watched my two minions cleaning the mirrors. It was a massive job. Ella was up on a chair, trying to reach the top. I’d have to get that later. She was such a shorty. I chuckled, walking over to help her.

Jody was down on her knees, her belly resting on her thighs as she sprayed and wiped. Brushing her hand over her forehead, she flicked some stray tendrils off her face.

She was looking tired today.

The baby was due in four weeks, and she was getting to that awkward waddling stage. She looked amazing if you asked me, but she would vehemently deny it when I called her beautiful.

Thankfully, she was healthy. The baby was growing fine, and the only thing Jody was really suffering from pregnancy-wise was heartburn.

She used the barre to lift herself up and pressed the side of her tummy with a frown.

“Baby kicking?” I asked.

“Baby freaking break dancing. The kid won’t stop.” She shook her head, but I noticed a small smile graze her lips. She wanted to be grumpy and bitter, but she actually had a light glow about her.

Not that I’d tell her that. When it came to her situation, it was better not to say anything.

I reached out to take the cloth off her but stopped when Ella squealed, “I love this song!”

She jumped down from her chair and slid over to the stereo, pumping up the volume and shimmering back over the floor as Beyoncé belted out “Single Ladies”.

I threw my head back with a laugh and pulled Jody over to join her.

The three of us lined up in the mirror and copied Beyoncé’s moves, singing along as we went. Jody, in spite of her shape, was awesome, dancing like the natural talent she was.

The music flowed over me, electrifying my muscles as I gave into it.

When the song came to a finish, we held our poses for a beat and then looked at each other in the mirror and all started laughing. I wrapped my arm around my bestie and kissed the top of her head, and then glanced over at Jody.

Her smile dropped away as her face bunched with a frown.

“You okay?” I moved around Ella and placed my hand on Jody’s back as she bent forward and winced.

“Yeah, just pains.”

Rubbing circles over her back, I murmured my sympathies.

“I’m gonna go lie down. My body is so not cut out for those types of moves anymore.”

I stepped back with a smile. “It will be again. Not long to go now.”

“You’ve seen my ass, right? It’s the size of Mother Russia.” She put on a Russian accent, flicking her hands in the air. “I can’t ever imagine having a perky butt again, let alone dancing like some sexy young thing.”

Ella and I both giggled.

“It
will
happen.” Ella kissed her cheek and guided her toward the door. “Go lie down, Fatty.” She winked.

Jody tried to throw her an evil glare but broke into a tired smile as she backed out of the room. I turned the music down and heard her clomping up the last few stairs. Cole had pulled a mattress up there for me a few nights ago. It was supposedly for me, but Jody had used it twice already.

I frowned.

“She’s okay. She’s just pregnant and tired.” Ella gave me a sympathetic smile.

“Yeah, I know. I just hate that she’s in this position.”

“Me too, but she’ll get through this.”

“I hope she can make the right decision when the time comes.”

“The adoption thing?”

I nodded. “We’ve managed to fill in most of the paperwork, but I haven’t submitted it yet. I must get onto that.” I made a mental note to call the agency and make sure I had everything in order before sending it all in.

“You’re worried she’ll regret giving it up?”

“No, I’m worried she’ll keep it and then regret it...fourteen years later.” I raised my eyebrows.

“She’s not your mom and she has us. There’s a big difference, Morgan. Your mom had no one, except your dad and a very judgmental mother-in-law.”

I frowned.

“Come on, you have to admit that Grandma Deb has changed a lot over the years. She must have been a total battleaxe when your mom was first on the scene.”

I had to give in with a small nod. It was true. Grandma Deb had grown in her old age, wisdom making her softer side bloom.

“Jody is surrounded by support. We’re not going to let her down.”

“No, we’re not.” I crossed my arms and straightened my back, more determined than ever to protect my kid sister. “I just wish I could have protected her from this.”

Ella shrugged. “It was Jody’s choice. You can’t control what happens to her. Just like she can’t control what that douche bag decided to do.” Ella frowned. “Too worried about his career to fight for his kid? Seriously!”

That familiar wave of sadness washed over me as I thought of Sean’s stance on his career. I dropped my gaze to the floor. Ella must have noticed, because I saw her grimace out of the corner of my eye.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I wish we could make people do what we want them to. Life would be so much easier.”

“I guess.” I shrugged. “But then it wouldn’t mean anything, would it?”

Ella tipped her head, her eyes searching my face.

I flicked my hands in the air. “If the father of Jody’s kid ever did man-up and arrive on her doorstep, she’d need to know it was because he really wanted to be there, not because she was making him.”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that I was actually talking about Sean.

I recrossed my arms. “Sometimes people do things that hurt you, but you just have to let it go and move forward. You can’t let other people’s actions own you.” I replayed the words in my head, vowing to say them with more confidence next time, to speak them until I believed them with my whole being.

“I don’t know what it is about you.” Ella’s lips tipped with a grin. “I thought at first it was this studio and the chance to do a job you’ll no doubt love, but something else is going on. You were strong before. No, wait; you were tough, now you’re strong. I don’t know if I’m explaining that very well, but...” Her head tipped to the side, her eyes narrowing as she looked at me. “What happened to you last week? You know, before you quit your job.”

A smile flashed across my face, but I quickly swallowed it down. “Maybe I’ll tell you about it some time.”

Ella’s face crested with worry. “You’re still my bulletproof lady though, right? Nothing’s gonna beat you?”

My smile reappeared, the calm within me blossoming, reminding me it wasn’t going anywhere. “Ella, by the time I work my way through all this, I’m gonna be freaking titanium.”

I winked at her perplexed expression and then jumped as the music changed.

“Oh! I’ve been working on a dance for this. Thought it might be fun to do with the kids.”

I ran into the center of the room and beckoned Ella to my side, holding my position until the beat kicked in.

Britt Nicole started singing “Ready or Not”, and my limbs moved in quick, sharp moves that were crisp, clear, and strong. Ella copied me, grinning as the words pumped out of the speakers. I had kept the steps simple so the kids could pick it up quickly. I watched us move in the mirror, a smile pulling my cheeks wide. The song was all about shining a light, and that’s how I felt as I spun and moved across the floor.

I was a beacon, and I wanted the young dancers to feel that way too. I wanted them to know that oblivion and darkness were not things to strive for. They needed to shine and capture every moment.

The song had a quick finish, and we held our poses for a second, out of breath and grinning like monkeys.

A slow clap started in the doorway, and we spun to see Cole smiling at us, his blue eyes aimed at his girl. “I think that’s about the sexiest thing I’ve seen all day.”

Ella put her hands on her hips. “Sexier than me getting out of bed this morning? I am highly offended.”

Her sweet giggle turned into a hearty laugh as he raced toward her and scooped her into a hug. She wrapped her legs around his middle and smiled at me over his shoulder. He spun her around and planted kisses on her neck, which just made her giggle more.

She pulled back and rested her arms on his shoulders, gazing down at him with a look that could only be described as pure love.

I told myself to turn away and let them have their private moment, but I couldn’t. As their lips met for a kiss that said it all, a pain shot through my chest, an aching throb that continued to haunt me...no matter how far down the
forgive my mother
road I traveled.

Would I ever get what Ella and Cole had? A love to last the ages?

I instantly thought of Sean.

None of my other ex-boyfriends ever surfaced when I asked those questions. It was always him. He’d been different from the rest, captured me in a way no one else could.

Maybe that was why it was so hard to let him go.

Maybe that was why the fact he’d let me walk out that door killed me so bad.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

SEAN

Rhonda was waiting for me after dance rehearsal. She stood outside my dressing room, tapping her long nails on the back of her phone.

“Hey.” I rubbed the towel over my face and paused beside her. “I thought we were meeting later.”

“I know. I was just driving by and wanted to pop in and talk to Ashlee, and I also came to pick up the contract, have you sign—”

“Wait.” I raised my hand. “Why were you talking to Ashlee?”

“I wanted to ask her to accompany you to the Saito event. She said yes, so I’ll find out what she’s wearing and then get the tailor to whip you up something to match.” She unlocked her iPad and tapped in a few details.

“I don’t want to go with her.”

She looked up at me and rolled her eyes with a sigh. “Well, you could have said something to me earlier.”

“I didn’t think you’d be arranging it for me.”

“Oh please, I arrange everything for you. You know I’m in charge of your life.”

I didn’t smile at her cheeky grin, Isabella’s words taunting me.

Who’s feeding you this horseshit?

“So who do you want to go with then?” Rhonda ran a finger over her eyebrow and looked at me expectantly.

“Morgan.” I swallowed. “I want to take Morgan with me.”

“Oh Sean, please tell me you guys aren’t back together. I thought we’d dealt with this already. That’s over now. You have to let it go.”

“No, I don’t.” I flicked the towel over my shoulder. “I don’t have to let her go, because she was the best damn thing that ever happened to me, and I let her walk out the fucking door. I was too blind to even see it coming.” I huffed.

She swallowed, her eyes skittering the walls as she cleared her throat.

I frowned. “Look at me.”

Meeting my gaze, she raised her eyebrows, going for innocent, but I saw it...in her eyes.

Mama was right. They did tell you everything.

“You saw it coming,” I whispered.

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“You knew.” I crossed my arms. “You knew it was brewing, and you didn’t warn me.”

“Oh come on, surely you knew it was brewing. She was making all those demands, asking you to risk your career. She was completely out of line...and she knew it too. I told her to watch it.”

My eyebrows bunched together. “You what? Did you talk again...after that time you showed up at her house?”

Rhonda pursed her lips.

“I thought you were inviting me to those meetings. What the hell did you say to her?”

My manager flicked her head to the side, looking away from me. “I might have suggested that she think about what’s best for you.”

“What’s best for me.”

“Yes, she was getting in the way of your career, and I—”

“You told me she misunderstood what you were saying, but that was a lie, wasn’t it?”

Rhonda’s casual shrug said it all.

“I should have listened to her, but no, I stupidly stood up for you!”

She gave me a swift glare.

“My love life is none of your business.”

“Your
whole
life is my business, Sean Jaxon. I took you from a fresh-faced, clueless wonder and made you the king of
Superstar
. I saved your reputation. You would have been in the gutter after Miss Tripoli was done with you. You’d be nowhere if it wasn’t for me.”

I stepped into her space, anger coursing through me as I pointed at her. “You didn’t even want me to take this role. It wasn’t until I met Morgan that I insisted on it.”

Rhonda pulled back from me, lifting her chin. “Yes, and aren’t you glad I went along with it and made it work for you.”

I shook my head, breaths punching out of my chest as my fingers curled into a fist. 

“Face it, Sean. She was holding you back. You want to be famous? You have to make sacrifices.”

I clicked my tongue, my jaw clenching tight as I rubbed a hand over my head.

“Who gives a shit about fame...and money.” I kicked the wall beside me. “It feels worthless without her. She made me happy, Rhonda. She cared about me, she inspired me, and all she wanted in return was for me to stand up for her.” My gaze was black as I looked across at my manager. “But you told me not to.”

“Of course I told you not to. It was the right thing to do. Travis would have made your life hell. He could have written you out of the show in a heartbeat. She was not worth that.”

“Says you.” I shook my head.

“I did what was best for you. I’m your manager; that’s my job.”

“I can’t believe I just kept taking your word for it, trusting you with everything, and you completely stabbed me in the back.”

She rolled her eyes. “I think you’re being a touch dramatic.”

I opened my mouth to say more, but she held up her hand to stop me.

“Look, enough is enough. We can finish this conversation later; you’re due for a read-through in twenty minutes, and I doubt you want to go smelling as you are.” She held out her hand. “Now, can you please give me the contract so at least I can cross that off my list for the day.”

I frowned, stepping away from her.

“Sean, please, not again. Tell me you’ve signed it.”

“I’m not signing anything.”

“What?”

“Rhonda, this is over. I can’t trust your word anymore. It’s time I started looking after myself.”

“What the hell are saying to me right now?”

“I’m saying you’re fired.”

“You can’t fire me. We have a contract.” Her words were like sharp nettles, but I rose to meet them, returning her steely gaze with one of my own.

“Contracts aren’t bulletproof. You can check with my lawyer if you like. And by the way, my agent and publicist, they’re gonna come directly to me now. I was gonna discuss this all with you tonight, but after what you’ve just told me I can’t wait. You’re gone, Rhonda.”

Her eyebrows arched high, disappearing beneath her bangs. “That’s really how you want to play this? Fine.” She shoved the iPad back into her bag and flicked the strap up onto her shoulder. “Don’t think for a second this will be easy, little boy. I have more connections than you know what to do with.”

“I’m not expecting it to be easy. I just want it to be right.”

Her mouth opened and shut for a few minutes, shock stealing her words. Finally she huffed and spun on her heel, stomping down the hallway and muttering a string of curses. I tipped my head back and rested it against the wall, fear skittering through me.

What the hell was I doing?

An image of Morgan floated through my head. Those soft brown eyes, that cute little smirk she used to give me. I grinned, a deep yearning pushing inside of me.

It felt good to know I was on the road to getting her back.

All I could pray was that she’d take me.

Snatching the un-signed contract from my bag, I ran out of my dressing room and down the corridor.

Travis was just stepping out of his office when I arrived.

“Travis!”

He stopped and turned to face me, impatiently checking his watch.

“Can this wait? I’m heading out the door.”

“No, it can’t. We need to talk.” I held up the contract. “And we need to talk now.”